2016 STAAR US History

By Huntsville ISD

Last updated about 2 years ago

68 Questions

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Which Andrew Carnegie quotation best explains why he funded libraries like the one in this photograph?

“Under the law of competition, the employer of thousands is forced into the strictest economies, . . . and often there is friction between the employer and the employed.”

“The price which society pays for the law of competition, like the price it pays for cheap comforts and luxuries, is... great.”

“The best means of benefiting the community is to place within its reach the ladders upon which the aspiring can rise.”

“This, then, is . . . the duty of the man of wealth: To set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance.”

29.H

3.C

Which of the following is the best title for this list?

Issues Contributing to the Outbreak of World War I

Principal Reasons for U.S. Entry into World War II

Consequences of Twentieth-Century European Isolationism

Economic Rivalries Between Cold War Superpowers

29.B

4.C

Why did Chicano migrant workers establish the United Farm Workers?

To exert influence on foreign policy

To obtain fair wages and improve labor conditions

To attain the right to vote in federal elections

To change citizenship requirements

26.A

What was the initial response of the U.S. government to the attacks of September 11, 2001?

To impose economic sanctions on Libya for sponsoring terrorist activities

To begin military operations in Afghanistan

To reopen military bases in Europe that had been closed after the Cold War

To form a coalition to eliminate training bases in Pakistan

11.A

This confrontation centered around —

disagreement over the use of taxes to fund public education

the refusal of federal courts to hear cases concerning civil rights violations

the denial of First and Fifth Amendment freedoms by southern state legislatures

resistance by state and local governments to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling

29.B

21.A

The issue addressed in this political cartoon was later settled by —

the creation of the Temperance Society

the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment

the initiation of the Settlement House movement

the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment

29.H

5.A

Which statement correctly completes this time line?

The Centers for Disease Control petitioned Congress to eliminate waste treatment plants.

The federal government created the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee environmental issues.

The automobile industry began researching alternative energy sources.

The president ordered the Public Health Service to deal with environmental pollution.

29.B

14.B

Which statement best completes this list?

Congress passed legislation imposing tariffs on imported beef.

Most of the cowboys on cattle drives were European immigrants.

The cattle industry was nationalized under the Department of Agriculture.

The need to process large amounts of cattle made meatpacking a major industry.

29.B

3.B

The primary objective of the Dawes Act was to —

promote cultural assimilation of American Indians

turn American Indian reservations into corporate farmland

end warfare between American Indians and the U.S. military

promote American Indian investment in private industry

3.A

The event described in this headline resulted in —

decreased federal funding of student loans

increased support for the antiwar movement

the reinstatement of the draft

an end to federal investigations of student organizations

29.H

8.F

Which theme formed the basis of the Chicano Mural Movement?

Environmental preservation

Assimilation

Education

Cultural pride

25.B

Which technological advance from World War II fulfilled this mission?

Sonar

Jet engines

Radar

Cipher machines

29.B

27.B

Which diagram is about Sandra Day O’Connor?

29.H

24.B

Mahan’s books influenced U.S. efforts to become a world power primarily by —

advocating overseas expansion

emphasizing the need for protectionist tariffs

demonstrating the political risks of foreign trade

arguing against forming overseas alliances

29.B

4.A

Which government action was intended to ensure that African Americans could exercise their Fifteenth Amendment rights?

The Supreme Court decision in Sweatt v. Painter

The executive order to desegregate the U.S. Army

The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson

9.F

Which sentence best completes this diagram?

The levee system was unable to hold back floodwater.

The Mississippi River was diverted.

An outbreak of tornadoes felled numerous trees.

The National Weather Service failed to provide adequate warning.

29.B

12.A

What was the primary reason for the raids described in this excerpt?

To prevent workers from joining labor organizations

To block civil rights advocates from staging public protests

To suppress the teaching of evolution in colleges

To halt the spread of communist ideas by radicals

29.B

6.A

President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points supported Poland by calling for its —

establishment as a Soviet satellite nation

annexation by Great Britain

establishment as an independent nation

inclusion in one of the larger empires

12.B

Which situation does this cartoon from an early 1900s pamphlet illustrate?

The deportation of many Chinese immigrants in the Northwest

The recruitment of Chinese immigrants by large labor unions in the Midwest

The fear in the West of losing jobs to Chinese immigrants

The lack of available resources in the East to support a large influx of Chinese immigrants

29.H

13.B

Why did the “Return to Normalcy” agenda of U.S. presidential candidate Warren G. Harding appeal to many voters in the 1920 election?

The public wanted to help rebuild war-torn countries.

There were significant shortages of military supplies.

There was a decrease in demand for consumer goods.

The public wanted to concentrate on domestic economic issues.

16.A

Which headline describes the primary issue faced by the federal government at the onset of the Great Depression?

29.H

16.C

The events described in this excerpt provide evidence of which political situation?

Growing solidarity between the executive and judicial branches

An increase in the number of legislators who vote against party lines

A lack of cooperation between the legislative and executive branches

The refusal by the Supreme Court to intervene in legislative matters

29.B

20.B

The Social Security Act affected the role of the federal government by —

authorizing the government to impose a flat tax

creating a government-administered benefits program

implementing new regulations on interstate travel

establishing an agency to monitor immigration

19.A

This amendment gained support based on the belief that people should have the right to vote if they are old enough to —

drive motorized vehicles

serve as members of juries

pay federal income taxes

be drafted into the military

29.A

23.A

Which sentence best completes this diagram?

The president authorizes a military strike against forces threatening the borders of Western Europe.

Congress appropriates funding for nuclear arms facilities in Western Europe.

The president signs a treaty requiring reparations to be paid to Western European countries.

Congress passes a bill to provide financial assistance to Western European countries.

29.B

8.A

Which factor was a primary reason for the shift described in this excerpt?

Kinship networks

Economic transformation

Government reform

Climate change

29.B

13.A

During the Korean War, what prevented the southern part of the peninsula from falling permanently to the invading forces?

The threat of a Soviet naval blockade

The assistance of the Chinese military

The use of atomic weapons on northern cities

The involvement of UN forces under the command of the United States

8.C

This 1944 poster was produced most likely in response to the —

growing demand for equal pay for equal work

growing demand for personnel to support the war effort

lack of women with the skills necessary to join the labor force

lack of women able to serve in combat

29.H

17.A

How did President Ronald Reagan’s administration support Contra rebels in Nicaragua after Congress cut funding for military aid?

By secretly selling weapons to Iran in order to raise funds

By confiscating funds seized in drug raids

By implementing a sin tax on luxury items

By collecting tariffs on oil imports from Saudi Arabia

10.D

Why did the United States seize Pacific islands during World War II?

To gain access to vital natural resources

To fulfill commitments to military alliances

To protect shipping routes for neutral countries

To establish military bases for use in further attacks

7.E

Which sentence best completes this sequence of events?

The temperance movement begins.

Religious schools are granted federal aid.

Protest music becomes a popular genre.

Gospel music gains national attention.

29.B

26.C

What was the main effect of the changes shown in this graph on the western United States?

Immigration from Europe to western U.S. cities increased rapidly.

Western U.S. businesses traded more efficiently with the East Coast and Europe.

Asian businesses bypassed the West Coast to trade directly with the East Coast.

Western states recruited guest workers from the Caribbean and South America.

29.H

12.A

Which of the following best characterizes the Gilded Age?

The discovery of goldfields in the West led to an increase in the amount of money issued for circulation.

Industrialists used their connections with corrupt government officials for material gain and political power.

In the Deep South a sharp increase in immigration brought a boom in construction and industry.

Small, family-owned farms were bought and consolidated to form large agricultural corporations.

2.B

One reason this provision was included in the Treaty of Versailles was to —

create a democratic government in Germany

divide Germany into smaller states to be governed by Allied countries

grant independence to all German colonies

weaken the power of Germany in the international community

29.A

4.F

This 1924 cartoon satirizes a scandal that led to —

public disappointment over revelations of government corruption

widespread dissatisfaction with a lack of economic development

public frustration with government neglect of the working class

widespread anger over excessive partisan politics

29.H

19.C

During World War I, tanks were used on the western front primarily to —

lead infantry advances across no-man’s-land and into enemy territory

destroy railroads and bridges used by enemy troops

release chemical weapons in advance attacks on enemy positions

launch long-range rockets at enemy aircraft

4.E

In this excerpt, General Eisenhower is describing his reaction to —

the Bataan Death March

Nazi concentration camps

Japanese American internment camps

the bombing of Hiroshima

29.B

7.D

These achievements illustrate Ida B. Wells’s contributions as —

a religious leader

an artist of the Harlem Renaissance

a supporter of Prohibition

an advocate of equality

29.H

5.B

What is the primary aim of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001?

To limit the amount of foreign investments in the United States

To promote the growth of locally owned small businesses

To prevent acts of terrorism against the United States

To increase funding for military contracts

19.D

A high school teacher wrote these bullet points on the whiteboard. What was the most likely topic of discussion?

Goals of U.S. assimilation policies

Objectives of the Grange movement

Reasons for immigration to the United States

Principles of social Darwinism

29.B

3.D

Which outcome best completes this diagram?

A reduction in the use of agricultural pesticides

The conversion of natural habitat to farmland

A decline in the availability of processed foods

The establishment of quality controls on imported foods

29.B

14.A

Which of the following is most characteristic of the Cold War?

The growth of nuclear arsenals in the United States and the Soviet Union

The expansion of national borders by imperialistic European countries

The implementation of isolationist foreign policies in Great Britain and China

The rapid industrialization of many Southeast Asian countries

8.B

Which of the following directly contributed to the economic instability of the United States in 1929?

The implementation of a personal income tax

Overspeculation in the stock market

New regulations on banking

The elimination of import tariffs

16.B

Which policy guided U.S. opposition to this declaration?

Containment

Peaceful coexistence

Constructive engagement

Deterrence

29.B

8.D

The business practice described above eventually led to the enactment of legislation that —

guaranteed public access to corporate records

protected consumers by prohibiting monopolies

protected domestic industries from foreign competition

required reciprocity agreements between state governments

29.B

15.B

Which groups were most influential in passing the Pure Food and Drug Act?

Southern farmers and clergy members

Factory owners and bankers

Muckrakers and women’s organizations

College students and immigrants

5.B

This World War II poster publicizes a national campaign aimed at —

creating agricultural projects to relieve an economic depression

encouraging a healthy diet for future soldiers

lowering the cost of living by creating a surplus of food

supporting the war effort by reducing demand for commercially grown food

29.H

7.G

These technological advances can all be traced back to which industry?

Telecommunications

Energy

Aerospace

Transportation

29.B

28.B

Which organization’s name correctly completes this table?

Nation of Islam

Black Panther Party

Congress of Racial Equality

NAACP

29.B

9.D

Which of these is an example of a successful innovation of the assembly-line production model?

A social-media company initiates a new privacy policy for its subscribers.

A financial adviser redistributes money throughout a customer’s portfolio.

A computer is built to a purchaser’s specifications using the available inventory of supplies.

A cable-television company updates its system to include more channels.

27.C

Which of the following provides evidence to support President Obama’s assertion that “America became more free and more fair”?

The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment

The passage of the USA PATRIOT Act

The establishment of the Socialist Party

29.B

Which action prompted the United States to officially enter World War II?

The German use of blitzkrieg tactics in Europe

Japanese military actions in Indochina

German submarine attacks on U.S. merchant ships

The Japanese bombing of a U.S. military base

7.A

Which pair of goals best completes this table?

1: Ensure the availability of affordable housing 
2: Provide health insurance for senior citizens

1: Increase turnout of minority voters 
2: Increase federal funds for public universities

1: Create an urban renewal movement 
2: Increase the number of volunteers for community projects

1: Enforce equal access to public education 
2: Provide programs to assist with food purchases

29.B

17.D

Which of the following does this event celebrate?

The economic impact of the music industry

The global diffusion of an original form of music

Improved acoustic qualities of recorded music

The relationships between different types of music

29.H

25.C

Which constitutional issue was debated after the release of the Pentagon Papers?

Freedom of religion

The right to a jury trial

Freedom of the press

The right to peaceful assembly

19.B

What was a major reason Congress rejected this treaty?

Member nations refused to adopt protective tariffs.

U.S. politicians feared negative economic consequences.

Member nations refused to support democratic reforms.

U.S. politicians wanted stricter regulations on emissions.

29.B

19.E

How did the expansion of railroad transportation most benefit farmers in the United States?

By raising the consumer price of agricultural products

By increasing the variety of locally grown crops

By providing farmers with affordable access to distant markets

By encouraging farmers to form the first agricultural cooperatives

28.A

How did the event described by Rosa Parks in this excerpt affect the Civil Rights movement?

It changed the way police arrested public protesters.

It resulted in a bus boycott that lasted more than a year.

It led to an increase in the number of registered voters in southern states.

It prompted the government to station the National Guard in southern states.

29.B

9.A

What is the main function of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation?

Assisting banks in recovering unpaid loans

Providing monetary aid to struggling banks

Guaranteeing job security for bank employees

Protecting personal savings in the event of bank failure

16.E

Which of the following was primarily responsible for the change depicted in this illustration?

New immigrant screening procedures at Ellis Island

A crackdown on anarchism after the assassination of President William McKinley

Overseas expansion associated with the Spanish-American War

An increase in circulating currency after the discovery of gold in Nome, Alaska

29.H

15.D

Which statement best explains how the application of electricity in the early 1900s affected the development of the U.S. economy?

Long-distance travel became more expensive.

College education became more accessible.

Household appliances became more costly.

Household appliances became more costly.

27.A

The program being promoted by this poster was created to —

assist soldiers when they returned to civilian life

ensure proper schooling for army officers

provide incentives to enlist in the military

encourage recruits to view the military as a career

17.B

29.H

How was the goal set forth in this excerpt advanced during President Nixon’s administration?

By the normalization of relations with China

By supporting the Arab coalition during the Yom Kippur War

By escalating the bombing of North Vietnam

By attacking enemy bases in Cambodia

10.A

29.B

Which action did the federal government take to recognize these soldiers?

Passing the GI Bill to give them educational benefits

Awarding them the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions above the call of duty

Providing them with monetary bonuses for demonstrating courage under fire

Awarding them battlefield promotions from enlisted to officer

26.F

29.H

Which action is an example of the type of participation described above?

Obtaining a driver’s license

Organizing a blood drive

Choosing a place to live

Voting for city council members

29.B

23.C

During the time between the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the start of the Tet offensive, what happened in the Vietnam War?

All U.S. civilians were evacuated from Vietnam.

Peace talks between South Vietnam and North Vietnam were conducted in Paris.

The U.S. government deployed more troops to Vietnam.

South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam.

8.E

How did Steve Jobs influence business in the twenty-first century?

By opening stores that sold consumer goods at discounted prices

By developing popular devices that changed the way people used electronics

By improving the methods used for offshore drilling by oil companies

By designing automobiles that utilized technology to reduce gasoline usage

18.B

Lines for gas such as the one in this photograph resulted from —

the dissolution of Standard Oil Company

an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline

an embargo by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

29.H

17.E